Celebrating Hilton Als, the 2023 Brooklyn Book Festival BoBi Honoree
Join us for a special conversation with our 2023 BoBi Honoree, Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Hilton Als. Raised in Brownsville, Brooklyn, Als is the author of The Women, White Girls, and, most recently, My Pinup. He will be joined in conversation by writer and cultural critic Jennifer Krasinski.
Keeping it Real
First crushes, friendship breakups, big moves, complicated family dynamics and following your dreams : life is full of highs, lows and everything in-between! Come join New York Times bestselling author Janae Marks (On Air With Zoe Washington) critically-acclaimed author and illustrator Stephanie Rodriguez (Doodles from the Boogie Down) and critically-acclaimed and award-winning author Andrew Eliopulos […]
History, Violence, Fantasy, Fate: Ariel Dorfman and Mariana Enriquez in Conversation
In this virtual conversation, widely acclaimed Latin American writers Ariel Dorfman and Mariana Enriquez convene to discuss their literary obsessions and most recent publications. Ariel Dorfman’s newest book, The Suicide Museum, pushes readers to reconsider their understanding of the novel as a genre, as it moves deftly from an engrossing investigation of the death of […]
Baby Dearest
Four novelists grapple with motherhood and the complex web of emotions – revulsion, rebellion, reconciliation, and redemption – it engenders. Susie Boyt (Loved and Missed), Kate Briggs (The Long Form), and Guadalupe Nettel (Still Born, translated by Rosalind Harvey) discuss the fall out and growth of their characters as they embrace or reject social expectations and […]
Where Lurks the Darkness?
Duplicitous spouses or stranger danger, climbing the career ladder or gun stocking survivalism – where does peril actually lurk and hide? Join NYT bestselling crime novelist Alafair Burke (Where Are The Children Now? sequel to Mary Clark Higgins blockbuster suspense novel Where are the Children) and debut novelist Kashana Cauley (The Survivalists) as they discuss […]
The Joy of Disobedience
From Hollywood to Capri, the lives of women artists and creators are reimagined in historical novels by Selby Wynn Schwartz (After Sappho) and Gail Tsukiyama (The Brightest Star). Schwartz crafts vignettes of the intertwined lives of feminists at the turn of the twentieth century who put down their needlepoint to forge a new creative and […]
Who Am I?
Three novelists tackle the fraught and sometimes harrowing journey of characters striving to define life on their own terms. In Sadeqa Johnson’s The House of Eve, two teenagers seek a new life but struggle to escape the confines of the past and future; in Ruth Madievsky’s All-Night Pharmacy, a sister experiences freedom and guilt after […]
Distant Fathers, Distant Stars
Remote and enigmatic father figures exert powerful gravitational pulls in the new novels by Norwegian author Karl Ove Knausgård (The Wolves of Eternity, translated by Martin Aitken) and Zimbabwean Novuyo Rosa Tshuma (Digging Stars). What mysteries are contained in the lives of these men—and how do the stars and solar system provide a key to […]
PEN Presents: Free the Books
In facing the rising threats to the freedoms to read and imagine, PEN America convenes a dialogue with beloved writers on the recent and dramatic rise in the efforts to censor and silence Black and LGBTQ+ perspectives. New York Times bestselling author Casey McQuiston and independent publisher and children’s author Cheryl Willis Hudson, will be […]
Who? New! International
Each season, BKBF presents several international debut authors whom we want to shine the light on for our audience. This year we present Swedish author and psychologist Lydia Sandgren (Collected Works, translated by Agnes Broomé), UK based editor and playwright Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi (The Centre) from Pakistan, Nigerian author and queer liberation activist Ani Kayode […]
Walter Mosley and Joyce Carol Oates: In Conversation
Two of the most formidable writers of our time appear in conversation about their life’s work, exploring the creative impulse, writing across genres, and the constant tension between good and evil. In Joyce Carol Oates’ short story collection Zero-Sum, the mystery of interior life manifests in characters striving for both vengeance and seduction. In Touched, […]
Of Spirits and Monsters
From the peripheries of death, in a Taiwanese village, occupied Korea, and a decaying Mexican estate, come stories of lives marginalized by sexual orientation and class, and devastated by war and grief. In Kevin Chen’s Ghost Town (translated by Darryl Sterk) and Yu Miri’s The End of August (translated by Morgan Giles), the dead tell […]
Tech Tales
Three visionary authors gather to unravel tales of love, the dance between humanity and technology, and fantastical realms that expand the imagination. Colin Winnette’s Users displays the fragility of connection and identity in the digital age. In Gina Chung’s Sea Change, a young woman develops a deep connection to an octopus that might be her […]
Crook Manifesto and The Stolen Coast
Enjoy readings and dialogue with two-time Pulitzer Award-winning novelist and 2017 BoBi Honoree Colson Whitehead as he shares the elaborate layers of his newest book Crook Manifesto. He is joined in conversation by novelist Dwyer Murphy (The Stolen Coast). This intimate conversation promises an exploration of the artistry, intellect and reflections that breathe life into […]
Who? New!
Each season, BKBF presents several debut authors whom we want to shine the light on for our audience. This year we present Madelaine Lucas (Thirst for Salt), Soraya Palmer (The Human Origins of Beatrice Porter and Other Essential Ghosts), Kōtuku Titihuia Nuttall (Tauhou), Jinwoo Chong (Flux), and Eliot Duncan (Ponyboy). This year, we welcome special […]
Eat (with) the Rich
These three novels invite readers into the world of one-percenters, though not without some criticism. In Jenny Jackson’s debut, Pineapple Street, three sisters of a wealthy Brooklyn clan struggle to define their individual lives against their family background. In The Lemon, Joe Keohane (writing as S.E. Boyd) explores how the death of a renowned culinary […]
From Resilience to Redemption
Join three acclaimed authors who explore literature’s ability to navigate the complexities of injustice. Through the pages of The Golem of Brooklyn, Adam Mansbach blends Judaism, humor, and revenge to craft a fantastical story of empowerment that resonates across time. Richard Mirabella’s Brother & Sister Enter the Forest explores childhood trauma and tests the limits […]
Well Behaved People Rarely Make History
A mother of three who plots to escape a Muslim Uighur detention facility; a racketeer who rises in the male-dominated Harlem mafia to fund her community and take on the Italian mob as Prohibition ends; five teenagers hailing from throughout the global south who risk their lives on seeking asylum and a better future. These […]
Looking Within
Across fiction and real life, self-actualization can start early. Whether it’s the story of a humanoid robot whose consciousness is awakened when he falls in love, the memoir of a biracial American trying to connect with their Mexican family, or a young adoptee whose passion for cosplay, comics, and animation helps them accept the monster […]
A Big Crime in a Small Town
In Andrea Bartz’s The Spare Room, a potentially fatal tryst unfolds in a remote Virginia mansion after a married couple invites a friend into their home. In Dwyer Murphy’s The Stolen Coast, two old flames embark on a million-dollar diamond heist amid the seaside cottages of coastal Massachusetts. In S.A. Cosby’s All the Sinners Bleed, […]
A Moment in Time
Discover how a single moment in history can ripple through time. Ben Fountain’s Devil Makes Three reveals the consequences of violent political upheaval in Haiti. Janika Oza’s A History of Burning investigates how one brutal act can haunt a family for generations. John Manuel Arias’s Where There Was Fire follows a mother and daughter as […]
Mazes Of The Mind: On Mapping Extreme States
International luminaries Carlos Fonseca (Costa Rica), Astrid Roemer (Suriname), and Norman Erikson Pasaribu (Indonesia) come together to discuss the precarity of dislocation, memory, and desire. In Astrid Roemer’s queer classic On a Woman’s Madness (tr. Lucy Scott), we meet a woman fleeing her hometown of Suriname, and in Carlos Fonseca’s luminous Austral (tr. Megan McDowell), […]
Place & Locality in Writing presented by the Whiting Foundation
Join Whiting Award-winning fiction writers Marcia Douglas (The Marvellous Equations of the Dread: A Novel in Bass Riddim, Notes from a Writer’s Book of Cures and Spells), Sidik Fofana (Stories from The Tenants Downstairs), Claire Boyles (Site Fidelity), and moderator Victor LaValle (Lone Women, The Changeling, and more), all of whose work draws verve, plot, […]
Whispers of Humanity
This panel brings together authors who illuminate the complexities and nuances of existence through carefully crafted short stories. Jamel Brinkley and his collection Witness unveils the heartbeat of New York City, friendships, grief, and the quest for home. Jai Chakrabarti’s A Small Sacrifice for an Enormous Happiness navigates the dynamic of cultures and the transformative […]
Illuminating Tales of Urban Wonder
Alejandro Varela, Henry Hoke, Adam Levin, and Hilary Leichter explore urban living in their captivating, city-driven books. Join this panel discussion on community, identity, and the quest for belonging with Varela’s The People Who Report More Stress, a poignant exploration of LGBTQ identities and family dynamics with New York as the backdrop. In Mount Chicago, […]
Echoes of Artistry
Join four authors whose books embrace creativity as a character. Brendan Slocumb’s Symphony of Secrets releases a crime-laden melody; Catherine Lacey’s The Biography of X unravels an intricate tale of identity and speculative history; Idra Novey’s Take What You Need examines the connections we forge between art and family; and John Wray’s Gone to the […]
History Redux and Myths Retold
Whether it’s disrupting long-held belief systems or accepted historical narratives, three writers challenge readers to reconsider what we think we know. In ten books and 91 chapters, Eve decides it’s time to tell her version of the story of Genesis in Carmen Boullosa’s The Book of Eve (translated by Samantha Schnee). While in Leila Aboulela’s […]
This Modern Life
Join these authors in conversation as they confront the pivotal challenges of contemporary life. Brandon Taylor’s The Late Americans follows a group of friends and lovers in Iowa City as they navigate ambition, relationships, and class. Martin Riker’s The Guest Lecture delves into the mind of a young feminist economist through a crisis of the […]
Class Combat
Journey through the multifaceted realm of class dynamics. In Andre Dubus III’s Such Kindness, a working-class man is forced to redefine his identity when an accident leaves him unable to work and dependent on painkillers. In Jenny Fran Davis’ Dykette, a couple explores the dimensions of normativity and nonconformity when they accept an invitation to […]
NBF Presents: What Comes After the Debut
Join National Book Foundation “5 Under 35” honorees Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah (Friday Black; Chain Gang All Stars), Alexandra Chang (Days of Distraction; Tomb Sweeping), and C Pam Zhang (How Much of These Hills Is Gold; Land of Milk and Honey) to celebrate the recent publication of their second books. The authors discuss what it means […]
Oh, the Horror
In this panel, fear takes on new meaning. Allegra Hyde investigates the climate crisis and “global weirdings” as her fictive landscape in the short story collection The Last Catastrophe. Gabino Iglesias centers a hitman’s journey in The Devil Takes You Home. Victor LaValle merges horror, sisterhood, and a mysteriously fatal steamer trunk in Lone Women. […]
Choice, Chance, Escape (In Person)
Join up-and-coming indie publisher Awst Press for a celebratory reading showcasing Awst’s newest release Scenic Overlook, a stunning debut novel-in-stories by Brooklyn-based author Anne Ray. In addition to a warm reception, a lineup of Awst’s NYC-based authors will give readings exploring the hard choices, chance encounters, and new environments that forge our identities. Readers include […]
#YeahYouWrite (In Person)
#YeahYouWrite presents Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah (Chain-Gang All-Stars), Veronica G. Henry (The Foreign Exchange), Daniel Magariel (Walk the Darkness Down), Terese Svoboda (Dog on Fire), and James Frankie Thomas (Idlewild) in a friendly and relaxed yet high-energy atmosphere. Enjoy “The Bookend,” a Brooklyn-sourced #LiteraryCocktail (and take home the recipe), plus #LiteraryCocktails/Mocktails designed for each author’s work. […]
Can Science Fiction Change the World? (Virtual)
For decades, science fiction has heralded imaginative worlds, opened portals to multiple universes, and invented life and sentience in the unlikeliest of places. Through such rich worldbuilding, the genre has also offered a portentous sneak-peak at civilization’s progress: aggressive climate crises, technological advancement, increased isolation, autocratic governments. Yet, the genre has never been more popular […]
Lab[our] Issue Launch (In Person)
In partnership with the Brooklyn Book Festival, Lampblack invites you to share in the launch of our third volume: Lab[our]. Merchandise and copies of the issue will be available for purchase, along with drinks at the Center for Fiction café. There will be live readings from the magazine, featuring t’ai freedom ford, James Stewart III, […]
Annual Brooklyn Indie Party! (In Person)
On Friday night, Greenlight is delighted to once again partner with Community of Literary Magazines & Presses (CLMP), as well as some of Brooklyn’s best independent book and magazine publishers, to throw a Brooklyn-sized party celebrating the spirit of literary independence in our borough. Partygoers are invited to mingle with Brooklyn authors and publishers, discover […]
Literature to Life Presents: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz (In Person)
LTL’s thrilling adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel chronicles the life of Oscar, an overweight science-fiction enthusiast who dreams of becoming the Dominican J. R. R. Tolkien. Growing up in Paterson, he obsesses over fantasy novels, falling in love, and the curse that has plagued his family for generations. Encapsulating magical realism and Dominican-American history, […]
The New Voices of Arab American Literature (In Person)
In the contentious battleground of political America, Arab American writers have strived to drown out the divisive rhetoric through compelling, evocative portraits of life in the Arab world, diasporic ache, and subversion of embedded stereotypes. We meet with five Arab American writers to learn the narratives that guide their work, how they write and recollect […]
The Girl Before Her with Line Papin and Jean Chen Ho (In Person)
Translated into English from French by Adriana Hunter and Lylan Dill, Line Papin‘s The Girl Before Her is described by Viet Thanh Nguyen (The Sympathizer) as “A fable, a dream, a nightmare, … a sharp little book that fits like a wedge between the ribs.” Join Kaya Press for an event featuring Papin in conversation […]
The Shining by Dorothea Lasky (In Person)
Dorothea Lasky’s The Shining is an ekphrastic horror lyric that shapes an entirely unique feminist psychological landscape. In this collection, Lasky guides us through the familiar rooms of the Overlook Hotel, both realized and imagined, inhabiting characters and spaces that have been somewhat flattened in Stephen King’s text or Stanley Kubrick’s film adaptations. Dorothea Lasky […]
Let’s Get Mad: Celebrate a Mutha of a Decade (In Person)
It’s a rager: mother-writers and artists get real, down and dirty, furious and funny about the lives of mothers (and others). Readings at Books are Magic Montague by Minna Dubin (Mom Rage), Amanda Montei (Touched Out), cartoonist Lisa Lim (A Darker Shade of Noir), and Deesha Philyaw (The Secret Lives of Church Ladies). Celebrating 10 […]
Fierce Reads Presents: The Thrills and Chills Tour (In Person)
From seemingly prestigious boarding schools filled with malicious forces to cutthroat competitions and dark magic in the catacombs of Paris, these young adult authors know how to keep you up at night! Join Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé (Ace of Spades), Jamison Shea (I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast Is Me), Tomi Oyemakinde (The Changing […]
Beyond the Acclaimed Debut (In Person)
The John Leonard Prize celebrates the year’s best first book. Incredible attention is lavished upon debut authors (the nominees and winners of this prize can attest), but once it’s time to get back to work, how do acclaimed writers work within the limelight and around expectation to carry on with their careers? 2022 finalist Zain […]
Playing God: Building and Destroying Fictional Worlds and Characters (Virtual)
Queer Indie and the Writing Community Chat Show will host an interactive, live-streamed panel diving into the construction and destruction of fictional worlds and characters. Topics will include harvesting inspiration, various approaches to process, and how to incorporate realistic and relevant conflicts and motivations. Panelists include Dr. Mario Dell’Olio, TT Banks, Ash Knight, A.C. Merkel, […]
Queens, NY: Fact and Fiction (In Person)
Join authors and historians Rob MacKay, Seth Bornstein, and Rafael Herrin-Ferri as they dive into Queens history. They will discuss the borough’s built environment and how diversity influences our residences, the people, and their connection to our borough. Kew & Willow Books, 81-63 Lefferts Blvd, Kew Gardens, NY 11415 https://www.kewandwillow.com/
The Rumpus Presents Sapphic Storytelling: Queer eQuinox (In Person)
The Rumpus presents Sapphic Storytelling: Queer eQuinox at McNally Jackson’s Seaport location. Featuring authors Hannah Beresford, Jaquira Díaz, CJ Hauser, Lars Horn, T Kira Madden, and Kelley Van Dilla. Moderated by Rumpus Editor, Alysia Li Ying Sawchyn. In this series, we present writers we adore and use the term “sapphic” as a tongue-in-cheek term to […]
And the Winners of the Literary Awards are . . . LATINXS! (Virtual)
Latinxs may be underrepresented in publishing, but their numbers are slowly and surely growing, and winning major literary awards like the Pulitzer, John Newbery Medal, National Book, PEN/ Jean Stein Award, Joyce Carol Oates Literary Prize, Anthony awards, etc. Join us and meet our Latinx award-winning panelists, including Andrea Beatriz Arango, Juana Martinez-Neal, Alex Segura, […]
No, YOU Tell It! “Fly By” True-Life Tales with a Twist (In Person)
No, YOU Tell It! storytellers work together to develop true tales on the page, then swap stories to embody their partner’s culture, identity, and life experience on stage. For this special show, four curated storytellers are trading tales inspired by Queens history from the archives of The Greater Astoria Historical Society (astorialic.org). Plus, story trivia […]
Crown Heights Literary Celebration (In Person)
Come celebrate the thriving Crown Heights literary scene with a reading and mingle hosted by three of the neighborhood’s most exciting arts organizations: The Franklin Park Reading Series, Big Words, Etc., and The World Trans Forum. Hear poetry and prose from local authors Tyriek White (We Are A Haunting), danilo machado (This is your receipt […]
NYC’s Eighties: Shimmer and Shadow (In Person)
Authors Kerri Schlottman (Tell Me One Thing) and Laura Scalzo (American Arcadia), discuss New York City in the 1980s and how it inspired their recently launched novels. From the dueling crises of AIDS, drugs, and the fall of the middle class, this decade, seemingly so long ago and yet so recent, has stories still to […]
INFECTION MELODIES + SILENCE: Theodore (ted) Kerr & Michael R. Jackson (In Person)
Writer and organizer Theodore (ted) Kerr and Tony award-winning playwright, composer, and lyricist Michael R. Jackson present an informal and far-reaching conversation. Together, they will explore their shared love of 1990s female songwriters, tackle the limits and possibilities of using culture to discuss social issues, and examine the role silence plays in their work. ISSUE […]
True Eco-Terror: Writing Frightful Economic and Ecological Dystopias and Disasters (Virtual)
What makes for true eco-terror? Join this panel discussion to consider the smart ways storytellers create vivid and disturbing, sometimes prophetic, reflections of our world and detail our small places in them. Insight will be offered by Damir Salkovic (Collapse Years), Theo Gangi (A New Day in America), and Jeff VanderMeer (Veniss Underground) and moderated […]
Selected Shorts: Ken Burns Presents Willa Cather’s America (In Person & Virtual)
Filmmaker Ken Burns hosts this sesquicentennial celebration of Willa Cather, one of the most significant and treasured American writers of the 20th century. This special evening of short fiction in performance brings to life the landscapes of the Pulitzer Prize–winning author so masterfully captured in her prose. With performances by Patricia Clarkson (She Said), mezzo-soprano […]
Radical Publishing in Political Headwinds (In Person)
Publishers from independent presses discuss the imperative of publishing books that uplift marginalized and insurgent voices, create and complicate representation, and spark and amplify movements. This is even more critical during challenging political times when marginalized communities are disempowered, scapegoated, and stripped of their rights. Margot Atwell (Feminist Press), Malav Kanuga (Common Notions Press), Ramsey […]
Powerful and Dangerous: the Legacy of Audre Lorde (Virtual)
The Alice Austen House, nationally designated site of LGBTQ+ history, will host a virtual reading celebrating the legacy of Audre Lorde’s teaching. Join us as former students Kathleen Walsh D’Arcy, Donna Masini, Melinda Goodman, and Rosette Capotorto read their poetry and share memories of their time in Lorde’s literature program. https://aliceausten.org
A Night of Ancient Mystery, Mozart, & Merriment (In Person)
Please join the Coffee House Club’s Urbane Conspirators and HIP Lit for an unforgettable night cloaked in Gothic suspense as mysteries abound in readings, conversation, and music. To be held at Salmagundi, a private arts club housed in a historic brownstone mansion in Greenwich Village. All in celebration of the paperback release of Joanna Margaret‘s […]
VOICE: A Lens to Black Experiences (Virtual)
Diversity is a call to arms, challenging society to be inclusive. The Black community is richly diverse, comprising many villages. We compare the teachings of forefathers from other places and grandmothers who’d migrated north or across oceans by choice. We are the ancestors in our lineage. We perceive the world differently and filter those experiences […]
What’s Community Got to Do with It? (In Person)
Join the Resort writing community as we revisit the old stomping grounds of the LIC Reading Series (2015-’20). Denne Michele Norris (writer & editor-in-chief, Electric Literature), Greg Mania (Born to Be Public), and Matt Ortile (The Groom Will Keep His Name) will be in conversation with Resort & LIC Reading Series founder Catherine LaSota about […]
Kafka is the Rage (In Person)
Brooklyn Social Media invites you to an evening with Francis Levy, author of The Kafka Studies Department, in conversation with Rocco Landesman, Broadway producer and former Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. The Kafka Studies Department, with illustrations by Hallie Cohen, is a highly original, quirky collection of short, parable-like stories infused with […]
Foul Heart Huntsman: An Event with Chloe Gong (In Person)
Live and in person with the Astoria Bookshop, at the Tony Bennett Concert Hall, celebrate the conclusion of the Foul Lady Fortune duology by Chloe Gong! Joining her in conversation is Amélie Wen Zhao, author of Song of Silver, Flame Like Night and the Blood Heir Trilogy. This event is ticketed. Tickets include a seat […]
Starting Out: The Editor-Writer Relationship (In Person)
What is an editor’s role? How can an author work with an editor to elevate their writing? Join Writing and Editorial Fellows from A Public Space for a conversation about the editor-writer relationship. They’ll discuss lessons learned and insights gained, formative experiences, and their questions for each other about the surprises they found on their […]
The Role of the Artist in a Time of Crisis (In Person)
From Booker Prize-winning poet, novelist, essayist, short-story writer, anthologist, aphorist, and playwright Ben Okri & Africa Center CEO Uzodinma Iweala, comes a fascinating discussion on the role of the artist in a time of crisis. Whether it be climate change, the refugee crisis, racism, philosophy, the pandemic, or any number of varied topics he takes, […]
Tables of Contents Reading Series (In Person)
Tables of Contents welcomes Isle McEIroy (People Collide), Jamel Brinkley (Witness), and Rachel Eliza Griffiths (Promise) for our September reading series! The evening will feature readings from each author paired with small dishes inspired by their work, followed by a conversation among the authors moderated by Tables of Contents chef and founder Evan Hanczor. Tickets […]
Origin Stories (In Person)
Origin Stories aren’t just for superheroes. This reading from St. Francis College MFA faculty and students will feature an exciting lineup of writers reflecting on their own origin stories as writers, as well as the origin stories of their writing. Writers, authors, and poets Clarence A. Haynes, Jive Poetic, Keyshawn Griffith, Marielena Gomez, Caroline Hagood, […]
